> Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 22:38:03 -0700
> Message-ID: <091248A714D59F499A76468A80557DB6027E3829@red-msg-06.redmond.corp.microsoft.com>
> From: "Alex Simons" <alexsi@microsoft.com>
> To: <www-patentpolicy-comment@w3.org>
> Subject: RAND Patents: A great thing
>
Alex Simons wrote:
> Patents are a critical part of our Intellectual Property system and a
> key underpinning of our capitalist economy.
Issue 1: You have begged the question. ``Intellectual Property'' is
bafflegab used to lump patents, copyright, trademarks, and ideas
together so that you can claim that the protections afforded by one
of the subsets should apply to them all. Repeating this
type of newspeak doesn't make it valid. Repeat after me "Repetition
does not establish veracity". And please note that many people in the
world are not members of _your_ capitalist economy, but still live in
this world and hence should have a reasonable expectation to participate
in the world wide web.
>Remove patents and you remove the incentives for people to invent/create new IP.
Issue 2: visibly false statement. The web itself is an enormously
innovative creation, and Berners-Lee and friends did not require patent
protection to create it. The examples of ``new IP'' created without
patent
protection are legion. Your statement is patently false.
It is also misleading. What is under discussion is the granting of
standards status to patented technology and requiring payment for the
use of the standard, not the elimination of patents.
>Why create new IP when you have to risk it as part of the W3C procedures?
For the good of humanity. Shame on you for not realizing that.
Your wallet may be full, but your morals are clearly in chapter 11.
>Instead, the W3C should uphold, protect and encourage patents as they create
>and support true innovation by providing tremendous positive economic incentives.
No, the W3C should uphold the freedom of humans everywhere to
communicate with each other. Governments around the world and
their associated judicial branches are responsible for the enforcement
of patents. The difference between the two types of organizations
should be readily apparent.
Paul
--
Dr. Paul Knowles. phone: 41 26 300 90 64
email: Paul.Knowles@unifr.ch Fax: 41 26 300 97 47
finger me at pexppc33.unifr.ch for more contact information